Cigar-bunching machine



(No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

F E KELsEY. CIGAR. BUNGHING MACHINE. N0. 281,517. PafientedJuly 17,1883.

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Patented July 1 7 L In.

INVENTOR 0W6 I K? ATTORNEYS f U TED ST TES PAT NT OFFicE.

FREDERICK E. KELSEY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

ClGAR-BUNCHING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters-Patent No. 281,517, dated July 17,1883.

' Application filed December as, 1882 (Nd model.)

To alZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, FREDERIOK E. KELSEY, ofCleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and State of Ohio, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Cigar-Bunching Ma:

My invention relates to improvements incigar-bunching machines; and itconsists in certain features of construction and combination of parts,hereinafter described, and pointed out'in the claims. v

In order that my invention and-the uses for which it is designed may beclearly understood, I will hereby describe the manufacture of two kindsof cigars; but first I will state that the tobacco that is to form thecentral part and bulk of the cigar is called the filler. The portion oftobacco-leaf that is wrapped around the filler is called the binder, andthe next and outer covering is the wrapper. The end of the cigar that isto be lighted is called the tuck, and the end that is held in the mouthis called the head. In one class of cigars what is known as the longerfiller is used. Thisconsists" of pieces of leaf may be free frominequalities, in order that it may smoke freely and burn evenly. Afterthe tobacco has been selected for this purpose there will remain a largepercentage of it that is too short, or is in some other way unsuitablefor this kind of filler. To utilize these fragments they are reduced toauniform small size and called scraps, and known as scrap or shortfiller. A, device for placing the binder aroundthe filler and forming itinto the proper shape for a cigar is called a bunching-machine. Inmaking this kind of cigar by hand, when scrap-filler is used, muchdifficulty is encountered in distributing and retaining the cut fillerin such quantity and position as to give the desired sizegand shape tothe cigar; also, the edge of the binder is liable to be thrust into thefiller or to be doubled back on itself; or a portion ofthe filler may bescattered between the folds of the binder, any of which accidents injurethe cigar, and are also liable to injure the temper of the man who issmoking it.

Many ineflicient devices have been used for making this kind of cigar.In some of these devices rollers have been used, similar in somerespects to the rollers that I use in my device; but I have no knowledgeof any such device that has given satisfaction to the trade, or that hasbeen in general use previous to my invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, showing asupporting-frame and rollers, and the spur-gearing, pulley, and clutchfor operating the same, and, on the left-hand side, showing the devicefor operating and adjusting a stop that extends into the chamber that issurrounded by the rollers. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectionalview, showing the pointed stops that operate in the central chamber, andthe three .back rollers, and also the bottom roller, in section. Figs. 3and. 4 are end views, the former showing the top rollers open to receivethe filler; also showing the devices for weighing and discharging thefiller into the central chamber of the rollers, and the device foropening and closing the top rolls, and showing, on the left hand, aflexible table, on which the binder. or wrapper is placed to be fed intothe machine. Fig. 4 shows the top rolls closed. Fig. 5 is a verticallongitudinal view of asizing-box, in which the filler is weighed andadjusted to give the proper shape to the cigar, and, by means ofattached levers, the saidfiller is dischargedinto the aforesaid chamberof the rollers.

In Fig. 1, A represents a supporting-frame, with the standards a wand a,the two former supporting all of the rollers except the two top rollers,and supporting, also,.one end of the driving-shaft B. The other end ofsaid shaft is supported by the standardv a. The said shaft is providedwith a driving-pulley,

to which is attached the clutch b. The said clutch is provided, in theusual manner, with a .lever for operating the same, and'to one end oftached leading to the treadle on the floor, h is pressed between thesaid arms, forcing whereby the clutch may be operated and the rollersstopped or started by the foot of the operator. 7

To the shaft B is also attached a small pinion, that engages the likepinions, b, that are attached, respectively, to each of the rollers, bymeans of which the rollers move simultaneously and in the samedirection. These rollers are placed in such relative position to eachother that they inclose a central space or chamber of suitable size forforming a cigar. This chamber is shown in Fig. 2, and also in the endviews, Figs. 3 and 4. In this chamber, as shown in Fig. 2, are twopointed stops, and C. The latter is formed 011 the end, and is acontinuation of the driving-shaft B.

The stop 0 terminates in a spindle running through the block a in suchmanner that while the said stop is free to revolve on its spindle it issupported and controlled endwise by the movements of the block 0. Thesaid block has its support in a thimble, c, that is a part of thestandard a. The said block is provided with the adjustable ring 0, thatacts as a stop against the said thimble, and controls the dis tance thatthe stop 0 extends into the said chamber, which in turn gages the lengthof the cigar. The ring 0 is connected with the bent lever D, which inturn is connected with and is operated by a treadle. The spring d holdsthe parts in position with the stop 0 thrust into the said chamber,while the stop (1 allows the stop 0 to be drawn back only far enough todisengage the cigar and allow it to be removed from the machine.

In Fig. 4 it will be seen that the arms a are continuations downward ofthe standards a, and that to these arms are pivoted at their lower endsthe arms G and G, and that these arms support the top rollers, E and E.The arms G and G, pivoted on arms a are of course attached alike to bothends of the said top rollers.

In Fig. 4 is shown the orifice O in the standard a, through which theblock 0, Fig. 2, operates. The rollers, as shown in Fig. 4, are inposition to compress and roll the cigar into proper shape.

In Fig. 3 the top rollers are shown as opened to receive the filler, andalso is shown the device for opening and closing these rollers E and E.This device consists of the levers H, i'ulerumed 011 and attached to therod h, and to which are attached the bosses h and the pins 71 I willhere say that as there are arms G and l attached to each end of the toprollers, as aforesaid, so there are two levers, H, each of which isattached to its respective end or the 7 rod h.

It will be seen in Fig. 4 that when the rollers are closed the pins Ifengage parallel seats on the arms G and G, and hold the arms andattached rollers in position. When the levers are pressed downward, thesaid pins are forced from their seats, and at the same time the bossthem apart, as shown in 'Fig. 3. {The levers terminating in the handle Hbeing also attached to the rod h, the rollers may easily be opened andclosed by simply moving the said handle.

In Fig. 5 is shown an enlarged sectional view, and in Fig. 3 are endviews of the sizingbox I. Thisbox is made of suitable length and widthfor passing between the opened rollers, as shownbythe dotted lines inFig. 3. It is also made of suitable depth to contain the amount offiller required for a cigar. This box may be made in a variety of ways,but I prefer one similar to that shown. This hasa false bottom orplunger, '1', and has attached the rod 1, terminating in a knob forpressing upon with the hand. One or both of the sides open partially onpivots j, as shown at J, giving a wider space for introducing thefiller. To the pivots jis connected a spring, j, which turns said pivotsto return the leaf J toward its original position. To the said box isattached the lever L, which is pivoted to the standard Z, located insuch position as to guide the box between the rollers E and E. When thesaid box is in position for receiving the filler, it rests upon thepointer-rod k, which in turn rests upon the balance-beam K, which isfulcrumed at k, and is provided with the weight is placed in the box theside J is pressed'in upon the filler and holds it in place, while thebox is by the hand turned to an inverted position between the rollers,as aforesaid. Next, by pressing upon the knob of the rod 1' the plungeri is made to discharge the filler 'into the chamber aforesaid. A spring,as at i", or two springs, as at i, or all of them, may be employed toreturn the plunger to its position; or the springs may be omitted andthe plunger left to fall back by gravity when the box is turned back toits first position.

It will be seen that the rollers E and E, when opened, form, with therollers below, a deep chamber to receive the filler, for the said fillerbefore it is pressed by the rollers is quite bulky. The top rollers arenow closed, and the train of rollers set in motion, compressing androlling the filler into the proper shape. Next, the binder is placed onthe table F and passed along until it is engaged by the fluted roller '0and drawn by it into the machine, where'it is wrapped around the filler.The table F is made elastic, and has a slight play between the roller 0and the next lower roller, so that it may bend down slightly when thickplaces cigar, are made pointed, so as to extend a short distance intothe respective ends of the filler, and are so shaped that the respectivecavities left in the ends of the filler will admit of the filler beingcompressed at the ends and formed into the desired shape.

I do not limit myself to the. precise construction herein described, asin different parts of the device other means for obtaining the sameresult will readilybe suggested to a competent mechanic.

What I claim is- 1. In a cigar-bunching machine consisting, 1

essentially, of a system of rollers, an elastic table upon which thewrapper or binder may be spread out, the said table extending betweentwo of the rollers, substantially as and for the purpose shown anddescribed.

2. The combination, witha series of rollers, of two upper rollersarranged to open and close, the levers G G, arranged in pairs at theopposite ends of said upper rollers and pivoted thereto, and means foroperating said pairs of levers simultaneously, substantially asdescribed.

3. The combination, with the upper rollers of a series of cigar-formingrollers, of the pivoted levers G G, supporting said upper rollers, thelever H, provided with the boss h, arranged between the said levers, andthe pins If h arranged to compress the said levers, and suitable meansfor operating the said lever H, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the two upper rollers, E E, and with levers H Hand levers G G, diverging at their upper ends and supporting saidrollers, having the boss h arranged between them, and the pins h N,arranged opposite the outer edges of said levers, of the shaft h, andthe lever H, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the series of cigarforming rollers having thetwo upper rollers arranged to open laterally, of the sizing-box I,supported by the lever L and post Z, arranged to swing forward anddownward and discharge its contents into the space inclosed by therollers, substantially as described.

6. The sizing-box mounted on a pivoted arm, having the upper portion ofone or both of its sides pivoted, and provided with suit able means forautomatically returning said pivoted side or sides toward their originalpositions, substantially as described.

7 The combination, with the sizing-box mounted on a pivoted arm andadapted to swing outwardly with its open end upward for receiving thefiller, of the spring-retracted plunger and suitable means for operatingthe said plunger to discharge the filler, substantially as described.

8. The combination, with the sizing-box arranged to stand normally withits open end upward, and also mounted on a pivoted arm to swing forwardand over the rollers for discharging the filler, of a scale-beam and itsco-operating devices, arranged to receive the weight of said box when itis swung outwardly to receive the filler, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification, in the presence of twowitnesses, this 8th day of December, 1882.

FREDERICK E. KELSEY;

Witnesses:

G. H. DORER, GEO. W. KING.

